Men's Basketball Stays Unbeaten in GNAC After 78-74 Win at Norwich

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel 78 – Norwich 74

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (9-4, 5-0 GNAC)
Norwich University Cadets (8-5, 2-3 GNAC)

Location: Northfield, Vt. – Andrews Hall Gymnasium

Date: Saturday, January 7, 2023

THE LEAD – Five Saints finished in double figures, including a matched career-high of 17 points by senior Ricky Martin (Sicklerville, N.J.), as the Emmanuel Saints men's basketball team stayed unbeaten in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, following today's 78-74 win at Norwich.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Saints and Cadets each had scoring runs early in the first half with EC starting play with an 11-2 run, answered by an NU 12-2 run, giving Norwich an early 14-13 edge. The Saints responded to that Cadets run immediately, using a 17-6 surge, over 3:52, to hold a 10-point lead.
• EC led by as many as 11 before a three-point make by Cadets sophomore Owen Liss (West Suffield, Conn.) finished the scoring in the first half, leaving Emmanuel in front 37-29.
• The Saints added to their lead in the second half, leading by as much as 13 points with 13:53 remaining. As had been the story in the first half, another scoring spurt was ahead, this one favoring Norwich, as an 8-2 run, later in the half, cut the NU deficit to its smallest margin, 62-59 with 7:23 to go.
• Norwich would cut the deficit to three on multiple occasions, but for each time the Cadets got within one possession, the Saints would respond to keep the Cadets behind. A last-minute, 6-2 scoring surge for the Saints would provide enough breathing room in Emmanuel's four-point win on Saturday.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Martin played just 25 minutes, matching his career-high in scoring. The senior guard finished 7-of-10 from the floor.
• Junior Donte Pope (Middletown, Conn.) finished with 15 points and seven rebounds over 27 minutes.
• Junior Ryan Grijalva (Stratham, N.H.) and first-year Zaire Baines (Queens, N.Y.) each scored a dozen while junior Kendrick Jean-Francois (Lynn, Mass.) added 10 points.
• Cadets first-year Joe Joe DuBrul (Shelburne, Vt.) scored a career-high 16 points, needing just 17 minutes off the bench to set his career mark.
• Grad student Donovan Lewis Jr. (Savannah, Ga.) scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 36 minutes.
• Liss finished the afternoon with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

UP NEXT

• The Saints continue a four-game road trip with a stop at Regis on Wednesday, Jan. 11, for a 5:00 p.m. conference game.
• The Cadets are also back Wednesday, Jan. 11, welcoming Saint Joseph's College to Andrews Hall Gymnasium for a 6:00 p.m. game.